Adept- To be considered
highlyproficient in a particular magical system. A person can
be adept at Egyptian magicalpractices, but a total failure at
practical kitchen magick, etc.

Akasha- The fifth element,
the omnipresent spiritual power that permeates the universe. It
is the energy out of which the Elements formed.

Akashic Records- A supposed
giant data base somewhere that can be accessed for
information on subjects such as past lives and other magickal
practices, but which can onlybe accessed on a psychic level
through Universal Connections.

Alignment/Attunement- The
art and practice of placing our spiritual and mental selves in
sync with the energies of an astronomical event (i.e. a full
moon) or another being (i.e. a God or Goddess.) This can be
achieved through mental exercises, evocation, invocation, or
ritual.

Altar- A special flat
surface set aside exclusively for magickal workings or religious
acknowledgement.

Amulet- an object worn,
carried or placed to dispel or drive away negativity or other
vibrations; a protective object.

Aphelion- The point of a
planet's or comet's orbit most distant from the sun.

Apogee- The point of the
moon's orbit most distant from the earth.

Arcana- The two halves of a
Tarot deck. The Major Arcana consists of 22 trump cards, and the
Minor Arcana consists of 56 suit cards.

As above, so below- A
Wiccan way of saying that natural laws apply universally and that
our inter-connectedness makes all realms metaphors for one
another

Aspect- The apparent
position of a body in the solar system with respect to the sun.

Asperger- A bundle of fresh
herbs or a perforated object used to sprinkle water during or
preceding a ritual for pacification purposes.

Aspurge- To purify ritually
by sprinkling with salt water. Often this is done by dipping a
fragrant branch, such as rosemary, into the water and sprinkling
it over the participant in a ritual.

Astral- The word conjures
lots of definitions. To keep it simple, let’s describe it asanother
dimension of reality.

Astral travel/projection-
The process of separating your astral body from your physical one
to accomplish travel in the astral plane of dreamtime.

Athame- A ceremonial knife
used in ritual work to draw the magick circle and to store and
direct energy.- not used for cutting things on the material
plane.

Aura- The energy field
existing around all living things.

B

Balefire- A ritual fire
that is set for a holiday such as Beltane, Midsummer, Lughnassadh
and Mabon.

Bane- That which destroys
life, which is poisonous, destructive, evil, dangerous.

Banish- To magically end
something or exorcise unwanted entities. To rid the presence of.

B.C.E.- Before Common Era.
The non-religious equivalent to B.C.

Besom- An old English word
for the Witch's broomstick. European folklore tells of Witches
riding their besoms through the sky, which many feel is an
uninformed explanation of astral projection. As a magickal tool,
the besom is used to sweep a sacred area, ground a circle, or
brush away negative influences.

Bi-location- A type of
astral projection in which you project yourself astrally while
maintaining an awareness of everything around you.

Bind- To magically restrain
something or someone.

Bless- To bless something
or someone is to set it apart as sacred, or, as the dictionaries
prefer, to make it "holy." The word is sometimes used
synonymously with "consecrate."

Blood of the Moon- A
woman’s menstrual cycle.

Book of Shadows- A
collection of Wiccan Ritual information that usually includes
religious rituals, magick , advice, and other information deemed
important by the creating witch(es). Each witch or coven builds
their own book, so there is no one "standard" Book of Shadows.

Boline- A curved white
handled knife used for magickal purposes that involve cutting,
such as harvesting herbs. It is not used as a weapon.

Burning Times- Lasted from
around 1000 CE through the 17th century, where it is said that
over nine million people were tortured and burned by church and
public officials onthe accusation or assumption that
they were Witches. Many have stated theories about what happened,
but my suggestion is that you read up on this particular time, in
term paper fashion. Find all you can about the subject and be
better prepared to defend yourself and your beliefs against
persecution.

C

Cabala- also Kabala and
Qabala. The ancient Hebrew magickal system.

Call- Invoking Divine
forces.

Cakes and wine- Also known
as cakes and ale, this is the ritual meal shared with the God and
Goddess. Juice may be substituted for wine, and any bread for the
cakes.

Cauldron- Linked to
witchcraft in the popular mind, this primal Goddess image is used
like a chalice or cup. This was a common magickal instrument in
the Celtic traditions because it was a practical object as well,
which could be used for cooking or washing as well as making
brews and magick potions. In many of the mythological stories
from Ireland and Britain, the cauldron is symbolic of the womb of
the Mother Goddess in which all life begins, ends, and
regenerates.

Celestial Equator- The
apparent meeting of two or more celestial bodies in the same
degree of the zodiac.

C.E.- Common Era. The
non-religious equivalent of A.D.

Censer- A heat-proof
container in which incense is smoldered during ritual. An incense
burner. Usually associated, in Wicca, with the Element of Air.

Ceremonial Magick- a system
of magick that uses intricate rituals to effect either material
or spiritual results.

Chakras- Seven major energy
vortexes found in the human body. Each is associated with a
color. They are: Crown- white; forehead (third eye)- purple;
throat- blue; chest- pink orgreen; navel- yellow;
abdomen- orange; groin- red. Smaller vortexes are located in the
hands and feet as well.

Chalice- A ritual goblet.

Channeling- allowing a
disincarnate entity to “borrow” your body to speak through others
either through automatic righting or verbally.

Charging- To use magical
energy to infuse an object with Personal Power.

Charms- Can either be an
amulet or a talisman that has been charmed by saying an
incantation over it and instilling it with energy for a specific
task.

Circle- A ritually
dedicated sacred space where Witches'' rites are conducted
"between the worlds." Marked at least by psychic energy and the
HP's sword or athame, the border also supports "Quarter Candles"
at the compass points. It may also be marked with stones, more
candles, drawn lines, or with an embroidered or painted mat. Once
cast, a circle may not be entered or left until a door, quickly
resealed, is ritually cut. The psychic energy of a circle is
always grounded at the close of ritual and celebration, but the
physical demarcations may be left in place if the circle is on
safe private property.

Cone of Power- Psychic
energy raised and focused to achieve a definite purpose.

Conjunction- The apparent
meeting of two or more celestial bodies in the same degree of the
zodiac, also combining.

Cleansing- The act of
removing any negative energy from an object or place by utilizing
positive psychic energy.

Consecration- The act of
blessing an object or place by instilling it with positive
energy.

Coven- (1)A group of 13 or
fewer witches that work together in an organized fashion for
positive magickal endeavors or religious ceremonies.(2) A group
of Wiccans, usually initiatory and centering around one or two
leaders, that gathers for religious and magickal workings.

Covenstead- The place where
witches meet.

D

Days of Power- The Sabbats,
as well as a few other days throughout the year. These days can
be triggered by astrological occurrence, your birthday, a woman’s
menstrual cycle, or your dedication/initiation anniversary.

Declination- The angular
distance north or south from the celestial equator measured along
the great circle passing through the celestial poles.

Dedication- The process
where an individual accepts the Craft as their path, and vows to
learn and study all that is necessary to reach expertise in a
given tradition.

Deosil- Clockwise movement.

Descending Node- The point
of a planet's orbit in which it crosses the plane of the earth's
orbit extended to meet the celestial body from north to south.

Divination- The art of
divining the future through magickal tools, scrying, etc.

Dowsing- The science of
using a pendulum or dowsing rods to find the actual location of a
person, place, thing or element.

Drawing down the Moon- A
ritual used during the full moon to empower yourself.

E

Earth Magick- A practical
form of magick wherein the powers and forces of the Earth Mother
are used to conduct magickal workings or celebrations. Usually
items associated with the Earth and nature hold a particular
significance in the ritual or spell.

Empowering- The act of
moving energy into an object.

Eclipse, lunar- The total
or partial obscuring of the moon from the sun by the earth's
shadow.

Eclipse, solar- The total
or partial obscuring of the sun when the moon moves in orbit
between the sun and the earth.

Elder- a Witch who is
established in his or her coven.

Elements- Earth, Air, Fire,
Water and Spirit or Akasha

Equator- The great circle
of the earth that is equally distant from the two poles and
divides the earth into the northern and southern hemispheres.

Equinox- The point of
equinox is reached twice each year when the sun crosses the
equator and day and night are everywhere the same length. Once
about March 21st the vernal equinox brings spring, and once again
about September 23rd, the autumnal equinox begins fall.

Era- A fixed point in time
marked by a memorable or important event or date from which a
series of years is reckoned.

Esbat- A Wiccan religious
ritual usually held on a full moon.

Evening Star- A bright
planet seen especially in the western sky at or after sunset.

Evocation- To call
something out from within.

F

Familiar- An animal who has
a spiritual bond with the Witch. Familiars can also be entities
who are created to protect your home from the astral.

Fascination- A mental
effort to control another person or animal’s mind. Also called
“mind bending”.

Morning Star- A bright
planet seen in the eastern sky before or at sunrise.

Magick- The art and science
of focusing your will and emotions to effect change both in the
world around you and the world within you. Magick is neither good
nor evil, positive nor negative. It is the use of the power that
determines the path it will take.

Magick Circle- A circular
boundary that protects the witch from outside forces while
conducting ritual magick. While in the circle, you are considered
in between worlds.

Magickal Systems- Can refer
to Traditions, denominations, sects or pantheons. It is a basic
set of guidelines relating to specific Gods and Goddesses or
cultural traditions.

N

New Age- Usually refers to
mixing metaphysical practices with a structured religion.

O

Occultation- Eclipse of a
star by the moon. Also occult, meaning the shutting off of light.

Opposition- The time when
one celestial body is 180 degrees from the position of another in
the opposite sky.

P

Pagan/Neopagan- Follower of
a nature-based religion. The term “neopagan” means “new pagan”
and is generally not a popular term, though I like it. It seems
to be a direct result of the New Age lingo.

Pendulum- A divinatory
device consisting of a string attached to a heavy object. The
free end is held in the hand while the question is asked. The
movement of the heavy object reveal the answer -- clockwise
rotations indicate yes, while counter clockwise movements mean
no.

Projective hand- The hand
normally used for manual activities and is the symbolic point of
where Personal Power leaves the body.

Perigee- The point of the
moon's orbit closest to the earth.

Perihelion- The point of a
planet's or comet's orbit closest to the sun.

Pentagram- A circle
surrounding a five-pointed, upright star. A symbol of a Witch’s
belief and used in magickal workings and ceremonies.

Priestess- A female
dedicated to both the service of her chosen deities and
humankind. AHigh Priestess is the feminine
leader of a coven or Wiccan organization and plays the role of
the Goddess in certain ceremonies. A solitary witch can be a
priestess by dedicating herself to a particular God of Goddess.

Priest- A male of the same
type as above.

Psychic Vampire- An
individual who figuratively sucks the life out of another.
These are people who knowingly or unknowingly cause disharmony
and self-doubt. They are not satisfied unless someone near them
is fighting with someone or otherwise in a state of turmoil. The
actions of these people are emotionally draining on their
"victims". Several good resources can be found to help defend you
from these attackers.

R

Reincarnation- The belief
that one has lived before in another lifetime.

Receptive hand- The
left-hand in right-handed people, the reverse in left-handed
people. This is the hand through which energy is received into
the body.

Retrograde- The movement of
a celestial body seen as backward to that of the general motion
of similar bodies.

Ritual- A focused
mental/physical ceremony to either honor or thank one’s chosen
pantheon, or to perform a specific magickal working or act.

Runes- A set of symbols
that are used both in divination and magickal workings. There are
several types of runes with different origins. A few are the
Norse, Scandinavian andGermanic Runes. They can
function as an alphabet and are useful in vision questing, dream
recall and controlling your environment.

S

Sabbat- Pagan holidays
marked by the solar calendar. Often depicted as describing the
life cycle of the God through his birth, death and rebirth, the
Sabbats are all power days, and days of celebration.

Scrying- A divination
method using specific tools such as a bowl of inked water, a
mirror, etc, where the diviner “sees” either normal visual
pictures, mental pictures, or informationwithout any pictures at
all!

Sigil- A magically oriented
seal, sign, glyph or other device used in a magickal working.
Most powerful when created by yourself.

Sky father- assigning
deification to the sky as a male entity. A name for the God.

Sky clad- Working magically
in the nude.

Spell- Extended mental and
emotional energy spoken aloud, written, spoken to oneself, drawn
or even danced. To work, it should be clear, concise, focused and
emotional. The need must be present to bring any spell to a
successful culmination.

Spiral- the symbol of
“coming into bringing”.

Spiral Dance- A dance that
celebrates the spiral symbolism.

Solstice- The point of
solstice is reached twice each year when the sun is most distant
from the celestial equator: once about June 22nd in the north to
begin summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and once again about
December 22nd in the south to begin winter in the Northern
Hemisphere.

Synodic Month- The time
required of the moon to pass through its lunar phases and return
to the start.

Syzygy- The nearly
straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies.

T

Talisman- An object that
has been magically charged in order to bring something to thebearer.
Such an item could be a gemstone to win a court case, or a
drawing to put in your pocket that will bring good luck.

Tarot Cards- A set of 78
cards that are used for divination.

Tarologist- One who is
adept at the art and science of reading the Tarot.

Tide- The alternate rising
and falling of the seas and oceans that occurs twice a day and is
caused by the gravitational attraction of the sun and the moon
occurring unequally on different parts of the earth.

Vision Questing- Using
astral projection, bi-location, or dreamtime to accomplish a
specific goal. Also called pathworking.

W

Web weaving- networking
with other witches and magickal people.

Wheel of the Year- One full
cycle of the seasonal year, beginning with the Samhain
celebration.

Widdershins-
Counterclockwise motion.

Working (Magickal)- The
process of using magick to reach a desired positive goal.

Z

Zenith- The highest point
in the heavens, vertically above the observer and directly
opposite the nadir (lowest point)

Zodiac- An imaginary belt
in the heavens usually 18 degrees wide that includes the paths of
all the planets except Pluto, and is divided into 12
constellations called signs, each claiming 30 degrees of
longitude, for astrological purposes only.